


(Squirrel) Skeletons in the Closet

by Ember360



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Fluff, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Open to Interpretation, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:48:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24784888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ember360/pseuds/Ember360
Summary: Fitzroy finds himself too scared to summon Snippers, and looks for another small animal to use as his confidante. He supposes that a undead one may do...
Relationships: Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt & Rainer, Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt & Snippers
Comments: 14
Kudos: 38





	(Squirrel) Skeletons in the Closet

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to @funkyfreshfatherfigure on tumblr for suggesting prompt number 9, "It’s a hobby of mine to prove you wrong" with romantic or platonic Fitzrain! (I chose to make it platonic :) )

Fitzroy had to grown to be quite fond of Snippers the magical crab, despite his own best efforts. At first, he really hadn't seen the sense in carrying the little familiar with him wherever he went. Maybe it was just Fitzroy being spiteful or stubborn, but he felt as though coming to terms with his magic was like giving up. Couldn't he just be rid of it instead? He didn't even want it, it had ruined his life after all! Alas, fate seemed to dislike him so instead of a magic-be-gone spell, he had been given a pet crustacean.

Unfortunately for the knight, Snippers was too endearing to be a nuisance. The little crab was always so eager to follow Fitzroy's plans, no matter how scatter-brained or downright stupid. He was always there for him, although Fitzroy couldn't understand a thing he said. Snippers would do anything for him, and Fitzroy soon found himself with a similar sentiment about his familiar. He trusted Snippers. 

Well, not anymore. Not after everything with Chaos. If Chaos was the one who had given him his magic, and if Snippers was a manifestation of that magic... Fitzroy did _not_ like those implications at all. So, no more summoning the crab for now. Not until he could figure this all out... 

_Click, click, click, click_ went Fitzroy's pen as he held it between his thumb and stared into the distance. So much had happened in the last week or so. Becoming a villain, learning of Higglemas' plan, curses and Chaos' appearance. Needless to say, it was more than enough extra stress for the average college student. _Click click click click._ Fitzroy wished he had someone to talk to, someone to confide in. He used to be able to talk to Snippers... _Click, click, click, clic-_

Suddenly, the button under his thumb got jammed. Fitzroy fiddled with it for a bit, but then he got upset and before he knew it his hands were covered in ink. 

"Sh-shoot!" Fitzroy muttered. (There was no-one was around to impress, so what was the point of actually cursing?) He considered wiping away the ink with his handkerchief, but then it would stain the white fabric and he didn't want to deal with scrubbing it out. Fitzroy glanced around the library where he was studying, unsure what to do. 

A small movement at the edge of his eye caught Fitzroy's attention. He glanced up to see a skeletal rodent, most likely a mouse based off of its size. The creature stared at him with empty sockets and and large front teeth. Fitzroy turned up his nose. 

"Oh, um. Hello," he said, moving away from the thing a bit. "You're one of Rainer's little abominations, aren't you?" He knew that was rude, but he wasn't in the mood to feign politeness just for the sake of an undead mouse. The skeleton nodded. "Splendid. So, if you could just like, skedaddle, I'm trying to study and you're really rather disturbing- wh- hey, no, don't come _closer_!" 

The mouse put one clawed paw on Fitzroy's hand, sending a shiver down his spine. He wanted to pull away, but he didn't want to seem frightened, what if it could smell fear? The skeleton glanced at the stain on his hand, and then back at Fitzroy. Was it... asking him something?

"Th- that? That's uh, an ink stain. I broke my pen." Fitzroy tried to make his story as short as possible, as he didn't want this conversation to last long. Where was Rainer? Why wasn't she keeping an eye on her... pets...

The skeleton apparently did not share Fitzroy's wishes for a brief interaction, and sat down beside him, head tilted slightly to the side. That _was_ kind of cute... Nope, no! This little mouse, no matter how small and cute, was a mockery of death and the laws of this world! Still...

"I got angry," Fitzroy explained. "The spring or something got jammed and I- I tried to fix it but I couldn't and I snapped it in half and now... Now I've ruined everything." Fitzroy stared down at his hands solemnly. 

Suddenly, the mouse put its small paw in the center of his palm, in a manner that one might call reassuring. Fitzroy smiled slightly, grateful for the support even if it came from something he despised. Then again, maybe despised just wasn't the right word anymore...

"Charlie? Where did you-" Rainer pulled up beside Fitzroy before he could register the situation. "Oh my gosh! Fitz, did you become friends with Charlie?!" The ecstatic look on her face was almost enough for him to say yes, but his pride would not stand to be damaged. 

"No!" Fitzroy protested, quickly removing his hand from Charlie's grasp. "We- I didn't! I was just, there, um-" Rainer's smug face was not helping the situation at all. Fitzroy groaned as he dragged his hands across his face, completely forgetting about the undried ink. "You're never going to let me live this down, huh?"

"Nope!" Rainer grinned cheerfully. She hide her laughter in a snort, not wanting to alert Fitzroy about the ink on his face. Not yet. Charlie leaped onto the armrest of her chair, and Rainer picked him up, petting him bare skull softly. "Now that you guys are friends, will you finally admit that they're rather cute?" 

"Never," Fitzroy huffed as he crossed his arms stubbornly. "Your little bone rodents are all frightening and bad, and I do not like them." 

Rainer scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Really? Is that why you were gossiping with one of them? Snippers likes them, you know, and he's like a part of you so..." Fitzroy tried not to be hurt by the mention of his familiar. "Where has that little guy been, anyway? My skeles miss him." 

Fitzroy avoided Rainer's curious brown eyes. "I uh... I don't know. Probably hanging out in the dorm or something."

"Fitzroy, he's connected to your magic," Rainer said skeptically. "How would you _not_ know where he is. Don't you guys have a telepathic link? Do you need me to help you look? Maybe we could get Fes-"

"No!" Fitzroy exclaimed a bit too quickly. Festo was the last person he wanted to talk to right now, with their stance on him letting his magic "run its course". Because maybe his magic's "course" involved him doing things he really didn't want to do. "Festo- I don't need to talk to them, I'm alright really. I'm just giving Snips some uh- some time to himself! You can't always smother familiars you know, they need to- they have to be their own person- er, creature." 

Rainer stared into Fitzroy's eyes, studying his face intently. Fitzroy glanced around nervously and Rainer crossed her arms. "You're lying. What's going on, Fitzroy? What happened at your mission? You guys haven't talked about it at all, and Rhodes keeps avoiding my questions. I want to know the truth." 

"Its... Complicated. You wouldn't believe me anyway." 

"Try me, Fitz. It's a hobby of mine to prove you wrong, after all." She held Charlie up pointedly. 

"I don't know if _hobby_ would be an accurate discription but-" Fitzroy sighed. "I suppose I'll take your word for it... Hm, how to say this- I um, I _met_ the dei- the _thing_ that gave me my powers and they were... Less than pleasant. Like, total bad guy vibes an- and not even in a chill, like, villain sense like us just in a full-on, total destroy-without-remorse sort of way. Which is... Concerning, to say the least? So I figured, if my magic was from them, and Snippers was a manifestation of said magic..."

"Then Snippers is bad too," Rainer finished for him, seemingly lost in thought. Fitzroy nodded solemnly. "Hm. You're right, that _is_ rather complicated... Have you tried talking to Festo?"

Fitzroy sighed. "I don't really know if I want to? Yes, yes I know, I know, they're our teacher and I can trust them to try and help me but I'm just. I'm nervous, I guess, I'm still a bit jittery from everything that happened and that's sort of manifesting into... Paranoia." 

Rainer laid one hand on Fitzroy's. It was a small gesture, but one that held so much reassurance and comfort. Fitzroy looked up to see her smiling at him kindly. "Fitz, I know what you're going through is probably very scary. But you've got people who are here for you, people who will help you get through it if you only let them. I'm here for you, Fitzroy, and Master Firbolg and Argo and Buckminster. And if you don't want to talk to Festo, then that's valid, but I really think you should, and I swear to you, I say that with your wellbeing in mind."

"I- Thank you, Rainer, it... It means a lot to hear someone say something like that," Fitzroy admitted. Rainer spread her arms out and Fitzroy entertained her by leaning in and giving her a hug. Their embrace was short and sweet, and Fitzroy smiled as he pulled away slowly.

"That's what friends are for," Rainer said, and Fitzroy nodded in consideration. 

"Yes, I- I suppose that's right." There was the sound of chattering teeth as Charlie the skeletal mouse weaseled his way on to Rainer's shoulder. Fitzroy shivered at the disturbing noise of bone brushing against bone as the rodent tired to communicate. 

"I think Charlie's getting a bit restless. So I guess that's my cue," Rainer commented, scratching her undead creature under his neck. She turned back to Fitzroy. "See you later, Fitz. I hope you consider what I told you, because I meant every word. Oh, and um-" Her grin returned. "You might want to check yourself in the mirror there. You got a _little_ something on your face." She gestured to his whole face and spun around before Fitzroy could ask any questions.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, thanks so much for the prompt! Fitzroy and Rainer's friendship is wonderful, I love them very much. I am _way_ too proud of the title's pun jfkdkgfk
> 
> You can send in a prompt [here!](https://dungeon-fever.tumblr.com/post/620959529235038208/100-prompts-list) (anon is on!)


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